Raju Ganapathy

Abstract

3  

Raju Ganapathy

Abstract

Conversation with Shiva-2

Conversation with Shiva-2

5 mins
285


Prologue

On the 5th of August, 2019, it occurred to me that Shiva would be feeling lonely in his abode in Kailash Mansarovar. What if a devotee left behind his mobile in a panic to leave the place? That was what had happened. Shiva did feel isolated and picked up the phone and called a random number, and the conversation started. Who was this Shiva? Does he exist? How does he view things happening in Bharata? Are some questions that come to the reader’s mind. In one of the conversations, Shiva explained himself. Read on and enjoy.


Tringgg…tringg….


Hello Raju

Hello Shiva

Shiva: no usual pranams?

Raju: I want to know who and what you are and then the pranams this time. Are you a desh bhakt, do you care for national security? I understand the state is monitoring all conversations and I need to be safe.

Shiva: I already told you that I don’t have an Aadhaar

Raju: I believe there are things beyond Aadhar and PAN card

Shiva: indeed, I don’t even have a mirror here, I can see no form.

Raju: go on..

Shiva: I am as seen by the bhakt.

Raju: Are you like the Shiva of Meluha?

Shiva: that is the way Amish sees me, so I become for him. How do you see me?

Raju: as an ascetic, prefers silence, meditates.

Shiva: there you are, I am like that for you.

Raju: it is like the story of the blind men and the elephant.

Shiva: so be it.

Raju: but then…you are supposed to be one of the trinities, a destroyer and so on

Shiva: to the creator I am

Raju: you mean Brahma?

Shiva: no, the one who conceived me as one of the trinities.

Raju: so, there are many forms, which is the core?

Shiva: I am without any core.

Raju: this is like rocket science. Ok, let me ask you slightly more mundane things.

Shiva: Proceed

Raju: did you receive the Ganges?

Shiva: have you seen any origin of a river?

Raju: yes, I suppose. I have been to Thalacauvery, and that is where the river Cauvery originates.

Shiva: then why ask about Ganges, there must be a similar origin.

Raju: Oh! What about the yoga sutras? You are considered to be the Adi Yogi and taught the yoga sutras to Patanjali

Shiva: have you seen gymnast performing?

Raju: yes, on TV. What about it?

Shiva: don’t they also bend their body.

Raju: of- course they do.

Shiva: do they talk about any Patanjali?

Raju: not that I know of. They have coaches, and they train hard, I understand.

Shiva: so why this association of Yoga and me. Haven’t you seen dogs and cats stretching?

Raju: yes, but then, the holy scripture Yoga Sutra talk of all this.

Shiva: have you read the Harry Potter series?

Raju: I think one or two.

Shiva: do you think platform nine and ¾ exist? Or for that matter the Principal Dumbledore, or the dark lord

Raju: not really, yet there is a great fan following, hit movies got made and in some centuries to come, it may become part of the mythology

Shiva: you got it right this time. I think that it is the way it has been.

Raju: so, to sum up, you are saying if I believe you do exist, if I do otherwise, you don’t!

Shiva: something like that.

Raju: ok. Let us leave aside you for the moment, what about Karma.

Shiva: what about it?

Raju: why do people suffer? e.g., it is raining cats and dogs in Mumbai, and the lot of poor suffer the most.

Shiva: so, what is karma about all these. I understand that the Mumbai municipality is the richest in the country, and the city is well known for rains, and the same story repeats each year.

Raju: yes, indeed. You mean to say that it is the fault in the system that the municipality, in spite of a rich coffer, does not take preventive action. There is encroachment, corruption, power, and all these make a potent combination that prevents any improvement in the infrastructure. Where is the accountability?

Shiva: yes, indeed. You humans give too much power to the unknown and rest in laziness and sloth.

Raju: hmm(silence follows)

Shiva: silence is right, you know. You allow things to settle down, and that brings some clarity in thinking.

Raju: yet I am curious across our border lies an equally ancient land, where I think only a few people know you. Why is that?

Shiva: Raju, let us assume that gods created earth. It is you human that created borders, nations, even religion, for that matter. The elements of nature like the sun, moon, rivers don’t distinguish countries and people. You dam a river and fight over it and be damned. Something similar is right about the kind of food you all eat. In the beginning, as you know you humans survived by hunting, then gathering and cultivation. Some prefer rice to wheat, and so on. Some still eat meat some over others prefer meat of a kind. But these issues dominate your headlines. Gods don’t figure in all this.

Raju: obvious indeed

Shiva: our time is up almost, something lighter to end with, please.

Raju: Oh yes, I forgot to add on the matter of insemination of holy cows, the minister also added that with the absence of stray cows, mob lynching would also end by 2024.

Shiva: what a convoluted way to end a law and order problem? 

Raju: even the custodians of law are affected by anarchy, a judge who was imprudent enough to talk about corruption in the judiciary openly got stripped of all cases.

Shiva: and then?

Raju: I understand he has been reassigned some other cases by the Chief Justice of the high court.

Shiva: now the judges can say ‘disorder’ in their chambers. Bye then.

Raju: and the SC is deciding who can meet whom in the K-land as if they have no other case to be dealt. Bye Shiva.


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